– Pat Patterson is reportedly pushing for his former tag-team partner, “The Crippler” Ray Stevens to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame this year, particularly because of the fact that it is located in Northern California, where Stevens was a major star during the territory days.
– One of the reasons WWE Diva Naomi was taken off of the cast of Total Divas this season is because of the belief that the show can only have so many storylines centered around married couples having issues. The decision was made to take her off of the show in favor of two single women, Paige and Alicia Fox.
– There has been a lot of talk behind the scenes in WWE over the past couple weeks regarding “Macho Man” Randy Savage being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
During an interview with Steve Austin last month on the WWE Network, WWE Chairman and chief executive officer Vince McMahon said that the legendary wrestler will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Although McMahon revealed during the podcast that Savage will receive an induction at some point, he did not say exactly when the former WWE Champion will receive the honor.
– As seen last night on Raw, Natalya rode a distraction from Paige and defeated Nikki Bella in a reverse of last week’s result, Paige then ran to her Total Divas castmate’s aid and saved Natalya from an after-the-bell ambush by the Divas Champion. Tonight on WWE Main Event, Paige will square off with Nikki in a non-title match. Following last night’s events, Nikki offered her thoughts via Instagram.
She wrote, “As I have had time to think.. To get lost in my thoughts.. Last night on RAW was a disgrace. A kick in the face is a lack of respect. It’s a dishonor to your champion, to your Queen. If you don’t have the WWE Network I suggest you get it bc tonight I will destroy PAIGES of what I thought was my next chapter. Main Event just got heated up. It just got FEARLESS! #FearlessNikki #MainEvent #RackAttack @wwe.”
WWE officially reportedly want The Undertaker to be inducted into the 2015 WWE Hall Of Fame, if he chooses not to wrestle at the WrestleMania 31 event that weekend.
As noted in the past, if Undertaker does decide to work a match at WrestleMania, WWE officials want it to be with Bray Wyatt.
A potential Hall of Fame induction if he doesn’t wrestle, guaranteeing him as part of “WrestleMania weekend” either way, is likely the reason WWE has been advertising Undertaker in the WrestleMania promotional materials, such as the tour buses and production trucks.
– Rob Van Dam and Sabu are scheduled to reunite as a tag-team for the first time in nine years at the 2015 WrestleCon event during WrestleMania 31 weekend in the Bay Area. Van Dam will not be appearing at the 2015 WWE Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, as he and Sabu will be wrestling at the independent event at WrestleCon that Saturday evening.
– Cesaro and Tyson Kidd are now calling their new tag-team “The Masters of the WWE Universe.” Below is a photo of the two at the WWE live event in Chicago, Illinois on Friday night.
Kevin Nash recently spoke to ABC News to promote an upcoming appearance with Maryland Championship Wrestling. There is no word yet as to whether or not his arrest from Tuesday night will change that booking.
Below are some highlights from the interview.
On wrestling his first match in a year this coming weekend: “It will be nice to step in the ring and see what I still have left. I also enjoy seeing what the next generation has to offer and connecting with fans in an intimate setting at a venue like MCW.”
On keeping in touch with Triple H: “Social media is huge today. It’s a lot easier for fans to keep up with wrestlers and see the next big star in the making. If someone catches my eye, I do my best to let Triple H know there is someone out there the WWE should be interested in signing.”
On not being upset if he doesn’t get into the WWE Hall of Fame: “I’m not going to be defined by the Hall of Fame. I believe my body of work over nearly 30 years speaks for itself.”
As noted recently, WWE painted up some of their giant WrestleMania 31-promotional tour buses with The Undertaker, which is said to be considered a strong sign that he will be working the show in some form.
As of right now, the booking plan is to have The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania, as long as Undertaker gives word that he is willing to wrestle, which he has not done yet.
There’s also a chance that he will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame next year, if he is indeed done with his in-ring career, although there has been talk for years that he would retire at Cowboys Stadium — which is the site of WrestleMania 32 — since it will likely set the all-time attendance record.
Regardless, expect Undertaker involved in some form or fashion during WrestleMania 31 weekend, as he is under a seven-figure downside guarantee contract, and WWE wants to justify the deal.
As seen in many recent years, WWE generally likes inducting a local legend from the WrestleMania host area each year into the WWE Hall Of Fame. This year, one of the leading candidates for the WWE Hall Of Fame in terms of local legends, since WrestleMania 31 in Santa Clara, California, is “The Crippler” Ray Stevens, considered by many to be the best in-ring worker of his generation.
Another choice for a potential local legend induction is former pro wrestler and football player Leo Nomellini, however because WWE owns no video footage on him, his chances are said to be less than great.
As noted last week, the leading candidates in terms of “main event” inductions for 2015 are Sting and “Macho Man” Randy Savage, although Vince McMahon said during the live “Steve Austin Show” podcast on Monday that Savage may not be going in this coming year.
The following is a detailed recap of Vince McMahon on Steve Austin’s podcast from Monday night, courtesy of PWInsider.com:
Austin welcomed Vince to the podcast,which is on the Network. Austin asked him how the Network was doing and Vince said it was doing great both from a subscription and a content standpoint. Austin asked him about the UK and Vince said it’s been a stop/start thing and they hope to have it wrapped up by the first of the year, but noted that wasn’t a promise.’
Austin asked him how in tune Vince was with the wrestling fans right now. Vince said that they don’t do wrestling but sports-entertainment. Vince said that not every match is going to “hit” and no one else does the content weekly that they do and then broadcast it worldwide. Austin said he’d like to see more in-ring over the course of the show and asked Vince if he’s wrong in wanting too much wrestling. Austin said that sometimes the early segments take too long. Vince acknowledged that and said that you do have to give the audience a hook or they won’t care about the matches.
Austin said that there are no other big leagues for other talents to go to and there are talents who are walking on eggshells afraid to do anything. Vince said, “Well don’t piss anyone off.” Vince said that there isn’t as much camaraderie and silliness backstage as there was in Austin’s era. Vince said the last guy to really try and reach for the brass ring was John Cena. He sees potential in Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns but they aren’t there yet. He said the talents don’t do what Austin did. Austin challenged the roster to take chances and try to get over. Vince said the roster is thin and he wants to see guys do it as well.
Vince was asked what he was looking for in Superstars. Vince said he’s looking for someone who’s hungry and wants to learn and keep learning every day. Austin told a story about a wrestler getting a bigger than usual pop at MSG and Austin pointed it out to Vince and Vince said that he hoped that person got over. That told Austin it wasn’t just Vince with a magic wand but Vince hoping guys took the reigns.
Austin asked why Cesaro hasn’t clicked yet. Vince said that perhaps it’s because he’s Swiss but he hasn’t shown the charisma but Vince hopes he does/ Austin pointed out that the momentum was lost for him via the booking and Vince said he doesn’t have all the answers and Cesaro isn’t being given up on.
Austin talked about the Creative Team and how different it was from the days of Vince working from his pool. Austin asked why creative got so complicated. Vince said that the company grew in leaps and bounds and went public and it’s not going to be a one man show. Vince said he can’t do it all and joked that he used to work Pat Patterson to the bone. He talked about how when people would come by his house, they’d end up in the pool because Vince loves ribs and described it being one of the funniest things in the world. Vince said you have to have fun to make fun. Austin told a story about Shane tossing Vince in the pool.
Austin asked where Shane McMahon is. Vince said he’s a happy camper and has his hands in a lot of pots. He said Shane’s departure was something of a mutual thing. He said being a family in business is difficult. Vince said he tried to do what was right for business. Vince said his dad didn’t want him in the business and he wanted his kids to do what they wanted to do.
Vince told the story of an announcer holding his father up for money and his father refusing, then deciding Vince would be the announcer with no experience, “and you’re going to do a good job.” Vince gave him a partner and it was Arnold Skaaland.
Skaaland was a man of few words so Vince asked him father for someone else to help him. There were a number of individuals who helped him.
Austin asked him if he wanted to talk about CM Punk. Vince said he wanted to personally apologize for him getting his termination papers on his wedding day. He said that in a company their side, the different areas of the company didn’t know what was going on. He said that he didn’t want to go through dirty laundry. Vince said there have been others who were disgruntled and they said things they later regretted and he hoped they would one day work together again. Vince said he didn’t listen to the Colt Cabana interview but heard Punk used a lot of expletives and things were said that were his side of things. He said that he had issues with Austin and Hulk Hogan but they eventually came back. Vince said he was willing to work with Punk again and admits that he has a big ego, but is willing to put it aside and work with him down the line. Vince later said Punk worked really hard for the company.
Austin talked about working with Vince and being in a similar situation. Vince said Austin was difficult to work with at times. They talked about Austin walking out when he was asked to put over Brock Lesnar, Austin said he was hard-headed and never returned Vince’s calls. Finally, Jim Ross sent him a card in the mail and offered to talk with Steve anytime Ross put them back in touch. Austin asked if there was someone who could bridge the gap between Vince and Punk. Vince said that unfortunately there is not and Punk is pretty much a loner and has a lack of communication. Vince said that when attorneys get involved it’s going to “hell in a handbasket.”
Austin told a story about Vince fining him $650,000 when he returned. Vince then told him what he thought was fair. He settled on $250,000. Vince said when you walk out, not on the company but the fans you have to do something or else the next time you don’t like the creative, you walk out again.
Vince said that Austin had the communications, perhaps not with Vince but with others and Punk was a loner. Vince admitted he himself can be introverted and shy and he understands it and talked about feeling uncomfortable when he was at political events for his wife and would often find himself talking to the bartender, who was more his kind of people.
Austin talked about watching The Undertaker losing at Wrestlemania. He asked about the background of ending the streak. Vince said that no one wants to give back to the business more than Mark Calaway. He said that it was time and when you look down the line on who he could work with, who else was it going to be. There was no one else it could be. He said that Brock was the one person that Mark felt was the guy. Austin challenged him and Vince admitted he made the decision to end the Streak.
Austin asked Vince why Brock Lesnar isn’t around more. Vince said you don’t want him around more, because he’s a special attraction.
Vince said Randy Savage would absolutely be in the WWE Hall of Fame. He said it would be soon but not perhaps this year. Austin cornered him and made Vince say yes.
On Sting, Vince McMahon said he made a great impression but he’s the type of character you don’t need to see every week but “I think you’ll see him at Wrestlemania.” Austin said that when he was hot, he was on every show and Vince said the business has changed and some of it is contracts.
They talk about the Monday Night War. Vince said he always felt WWE was more passionate and WCW having talent in charge of their own creative created chaos. Austin said they don’t have any real competition and Vince said that they compete with everything on TV. He said they and WCW were burning so hot and it was a question of who was going to burn out first. Vince always kept ideas in huis pocket. He said all the WCW issues eventually wore them down.
Continue reading on Page 2 Below: Vince talks about expanding the WWF in the 80’s, Jim Ross, the Austin-McMahon feud & more –
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan continues to tease that he’s gearing up for a match at WrestleMania 31 on March 29, 2015. WWE hosted a WrestleMania 31 kickoff event on Friday night at Levi’s Stadium in California, with Hogan taking questions from the fans in attendance.
When asked by a fan if we’ll see Hogan wrestle again, he jumped right into hype mode, stating that he’s training like he’s got a WWE title match coming up, brother.
“Here’s the deal, brother. A very wise man once told me a long time ago – and that wise man was Vince McMahon – and he said, ‘Never say never.’ Right now, I’m back on my feet. I had a bunch of surgeries, a bunch of ‘whoa is me’ stuff, got back on my feet, and then training like I’m training for the WWE Title right now.
“It could happen at any time. Whether it’s a retirement match, whether it’s the beginning of the run, whether it’s a WWE Title spot – a chance to win the title. I’m getting ready like I’m the main event in this place. So, never say never, brother. You never know what’s going to happen.”
– A lot of WWE Network hype is expected on tonight’s edition of RAW. Fans who signed up for the Network on WWE Hall Of Fame Saturday earlier this year had their subscription expire on Sunday. Those who signed up on WrestleMania XXX Sunday will have their subscriptions expire today.
– One of tonight’s RAW guest hosts, Hoda Kotb, who joins Kathie Lee Gifford at the Barclays Center, tweeted the following about tonight’s gig:
Wait— is it true that @KathieLGifford and I are doing @WWE tonight? I heard the divas going to kick us around. #uh-oh
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The following are highlights of a new Main Event Radio interview with Trish Stratus:
Transitioning from Fitness to Pro Wrestling: “In fitness you’re training for asthetics to look good and to sculpt your body a certain way. In wrestling you’re training to perform. In fitness I was traveling all over the world but in wrestling it was 300 days a year, so it was a little bit of an adjustment. But I loved it, the challenge, taking in new things and taking in a new industry altogether. I’m kind of like a tomboy so a lot of the sports played – varsity hockey and soccer. I was kinda known as the goon on the team so I was used to being rough and able to take it. I used to wrestle with my cousins when I was a kid. When I first started, I had my share of bruises and my moments where I thought this is tougher than I thought but I loved it, embraced it and looked forward to the challenge.”
Working with Test and Albert as “T&A”: “They were awesome. Test, God bless him, was actually a jerk to me. He was pretty mean to me, was giving me tough love at the beginning. He made me prove myself first. Albert was amazing, great friend, and still a great friend. They gave me the opportunity to be by their side. I really got to learn front row. Take it all in, see the reactions, the mannerisms and all these little things that makes a good performance and got to use these things when I got to be on the other side of the ropes.”
Main Eventing an episode of Monday Night Raw: “Completely an honor to be able to have that spot. We both arrived and couldn’t believe it; it was like we’re WHAT tonight! We knew this was our chance to prove that the women could hang with the boys. We worked just as hard as they did, the fans embraced it. We came back to big applause from our co-workers which meant a lot. I’m very blessed to have the career I did and have the people that I worked with to support the career I did. It’s not a one-man show. It takes two to tango and it takes even more to put on a wrestling production. I’m just so grateful for all the people I was surrounded with.”
WWE Hall of Fame Induction: “Just an honor. You’re being recognized by your peers; your colleagues. Going in as the youngest was nice instead of hustling and bustling being an old bird coming up onto the stage. It was nice to be in my prime. And we represented the modern day divas, [Lita] this year and me last. I’m curious to see who they will choose next. A huge honor.”
Thoughts on Total Divas: “I enjoy the show. I think it’s great. I enjoy watching the drama just like you do. It’s a reality show. We are glued to it to watch things unfold. It’s enough of a glimpse into the wrestling world without too much to give our secrets away so I appreciate that.”
If she is pondering an in-ring return: “Every time I have returned it’s been on the basis that the door is never closed. If some awesome opportunity pops up and it sounds fun and challenging and it’s something I haven’t done before. That’s kind of how each thing has happened. I have a great relationship with WWE and we’re always chatting ideas. You never know, retirement is used very loosely in the wrestling world. There are lots of great workers right now. Seeing Brie and Stephanie in there a couple of weeks ago made me kind of excited again. So we’ll see what happens. You know if that Stephanie keeps up her ways there is one woman that I know can put her in her place, just saying…me!”
Former WWE Diva Trish Stratus recently spoke with Slam! Wrestling and revealed that Bully Ray was one of the people considered as the person who would induct her into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
“I think fans would be surprised to know that Bubba Ray Dudley [TNA’s Bully Ray] was on the list,” said Trish. “He’s on it because he was kind of giving me a trust/tough love when I first came in. But once I proved myself to him, he really opened up and was really kind and giving and would advise me on a lot of things.”
Stratus continued, “So when we finally worked together, once he saw that I was willing to take the table and I used to tell him: ‘Don’t protect me, don’t go easy on me, I just want to do it and do it good and make the fans proud,’ and he appreciated that. So we’ve became really close friends and we had a great relationship and he really helped me a lot.”
Wrestling legend Sting spoke to Mirror.co.uk this week to hype his involvement in the upcoming WWE 2K15 video game. Sting spoke about a variety of topics, including why he decided to finally work with WWE after all these years, if he’s interested in joining the WWE Hall of Fame, memories of his former tag team partner The Ultimate Warrior and his desire to wrestle The Undertaker at WrestleMania 31.
Here are the highlights of what Sting said about:
Finally Working With WWE: “Why now? It’s a now or never thing. I’ve done so many things in the wrestling business but the one thing I’d never done was wrestle or be a part of the WWE family I didn’t want too hang it all up and retire and disappear again without having done that in some capacity.”
Joining The WWE Hall Of Fame: “Obviously it would be a great honour to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. It’s nothing that I would say no to, that’s for sure.”
Memories Of The Ultimate Warrior: “Now I can look back and realise just how amazing it all was. It’s remarkable really that both of us ended up taking it all as far as we did.”
“It would seem like every three, four, five years or so we’d bump into each other. He called me twelve years ago, he needed some help with some stuff and of course I was there to help him out as much as I could. We never really kept in contact, but it was always friendly when we did. With his resurgence with WWE I was really looking forward to reconnecting with him again, and maybe even working with him in some capacity through WWE.”
Wanting To Wrestle The Undertaker: “I’ve made it clear I’d love to have one last hurrah, one last big match hopefully. And of course I’ve been outspoken about Undertaker being the opponent. I know what happened at Wrestlemania where Brock Lesnar broke his streak. I think, or at least I’m hoping, that Taker’s still going to come back and that he’s not done. If he’s not done, and he would consider doing it, I’d love to work with him one time.
“I’d love to wrestle him one time before I call it quits. Undertaker maintained a status in wrestling and the WWE that is second to none. He’s a phenomenon,”
The following are highlights of a new Busted Open Radio interview with WWE Hall Of Famer J.J. Dillon:
On Daniel Bryan’s injury and pushed wrestlers having to leave due to injury: “It’s happened numerous times over the years on both sides of the extreme. Look at Magnum TA and what a future Jerry Allen had in terms of ‘the skys the limit’. He had the look, the speed, the size and on a rainy slick night his car slammed into a tree, slammed his head into the car and broke his neck instantly ending his career. It’s not only the dangers that one faces in the ring because of the natures that wrestling is. There’s as much danger traveling. During the glory years of The 4 Horsemen, Arn Anderson had continual problems with his neck. It got worse and worse and he felt a numb in his arm. It kept getting further and further down and finally it reached his hand. Arn was so committed to the Horsemen, he said numerous times that it was a level of excellence and commitment that doesn’t come along every day. Arn continued to go out there every day and as a result, the nerve damage continued to progress that he needed surgery and when he finally had surgery, the damage wasn’t reparable.”
On injured wrestlers coming back from injury who were popular when they left: “I think you have to look at each case on an individual basis. Daniel Bryan, there’s a guy that, from an outside perspective, it would appear that there’s a guy who didn’t set the mold of what you would expect Vince McMahon and the WWE to give a push. He had that ‘it’ factor. The fans wouldn’t give up on him and WWE had to elevate his status because the fans demanded it. It’s sad that a guy finally gets his chance and was on the climb to who knows where and how long and then this injury comes along. Doctors will look at a guy and sometimes a guy will get a second opinion from another doctor and the doctors will sometimes not agree on the situation. The one reality of the whole situation is not only in WWE but in the whole genre of Pro Wrestling, you don’t have the depth of talent that was there years ago. You don’t have another guy you can plug into that spot and keep the momentum going. It’s the sad state of reality of the business today. Take a look at Ronda Rousey. She caught the world by storm. What happens if she goes down from injury. There is no one left.”
On Daniel Bryan and WWE creative: “From the times I’ve seen him, he has that it factor and connects with the fans. One thing about creative is there were a lot of ideas over time throughout my career and the ultimate judge and jury is the fans. You would take a guy who had the right talent and didn’t have the right situation for him and you’d put him in a situation that’s kind of like just being in limbo just to keep him out there. Sometimes it catches on fire like you couldn’t imagine. That’s one of the things about pro wrestling, sometimes you have the right pulse and sometimes you don’t. Vince McMahon picked more winners than losers, but no one is perfect.”
On the emotion he and the Four Horsemen had being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame: “When I first started I was a fan. It was in the late 50’s and I thought I could become a professional wrestler and appear at Madison Square Garden. The Hall Of Fame at that point was Baseball in Cooperstown. There was no wrestling hall of fame. You just took it day by day and pursued your career and I’ve said it time after time that the fans made wrestling the way it is today. Their the greatest fans in the world and whatever success myself and the Horsemen had was because of the fans. We gave everything every night. It’s like in any other business, you have to give respect to get respect. At the end of the road, I wrestled full time for 5 years before I managed, then I continued to wrestle while managing. After 20 years I had over 3,200 matches. I have done it all and when you look back and you’re being inducted into the hall of fame, all of my children were there in attendance to share the experience with me. We were treated with great respect by the fans and the stars of today. The following day going in front of 70,000 people getting cheered and a standing ovation, it was a very emotional moment.”
On Ole Anderson not being inducted into WWE HOF: “Well there are political issues that go back to Georgia Championship Wrestling. If people do their research, they would realize that there was a negative tension between Vince McMahon and Ole Anderson. Ole probably wouldn’t accept it if they offered it to them. The Horsemen wouldn’t be the way they were without Ole. When Lex Luger came around we camouflaged his flaws and he came along at the right time. When Barry came along I think that was the elite group. With Barry you had the young looks, athleticism and skills.”
Tonight’s episode of Raw took place in Montreal, Canada and featured a total of eleven matches, including a first ever one-on-one meeting between the WWE World Heavyweight champion John Cena and Money in the Bank briefcase holder Seth Rollins.
Canadian icon and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart graced the WWE Universe with his presence and cut a promo. Of course, he brought up the Montreal Screw Job, but it was a nice moment. Also, WWE continued to promote current on-going storylines leading up to Battleground.
Last week’s episode of Raw was one of the best and most exciting in recent history. Did this edition live up to last week’s high standards? Without further ado, here are highlights, lowlights and my random thoughts on the 7/7/2014 edition of Monday Night Raw:
BEST MATCH: The opening bout between the Usos and the Wyatt Family was the best match of the night. There were two other matches that could have stolen the show, but they failed to do so for a couple of reasons. First, Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose gave it their best effort, but it was clear to see that the two didn’t have very much chemistry, at least when it comes to singles action. Also, the Dean Ambrose botch wasn’t a crowd-pleasing moment.
Chris Jericho vs. the Miz could have been special, but the match didn’t last as long as I hoped. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins had the most promise, but they weren’t given enough time to do anything memorable and the obvious interference by Kane and Randy Orton ruined the match for me.
What was your favorite match of the night?
WORST MATCH: AJ Lee/Paige vs. Naomi/Cameron was the worst match of the night. Aside from the main event and the tag team match between the Usos and the Wyatt Family, there weren’t any real standout matches. However, this bout stood out for all the wrong reasons and it was a poor showing amongst the four Divas involved. Bo Dallas vs. El Torito was a close second for the worst match of the night award because at least the crowd was somewhat into it.
The worst segment of the night was the Nikki Bella/Alicia Fox disaster, but I don’t think there was an opening bell and nobody was declared the winner. Therefore, Idon’t consider this to be a match; otherwise, it would have won the award.
UPSET OF THE NIGHT: Kofi Kingston defeating Cesaro was the upset of the night. I know that Kofi defeated Cesaro last week on Raw, but I didn’t expect him to do it again and I don’t think the fans/crowd did either. I see Cesaro winning the Intercontinental Title at Battleground and Kingston falling into obscurity once again, but at least Kofi is living in the moment now.
To quote the great Mike Adamle, Kofi be Jamaican me crazy.
MOST SHOCKING MOMENT: I expected Randy Orton to defeat Dean Ambrose in their match tonight, but I was anticipating Seth Rollins to screw Ambrose over, resulting in Ambrose losing cleanly. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Ambrose has been really hot as of late and Rollins costing him the match would have protected Ambrose a bit more. Also, it would have spiced things up and furthered the Ambrose/Rollins feud.
On the June 23rd edition of Raw, Vickie Guerrero lost her pudding match against Stephanie McMahon and was fired as a result. This ended Vickie’s nine year carer with WWE. Vickie initially entered into WWE storylines with her husband, the late great Eddie Guerrero. After a successful run in WWE, Vickie is likely headed to a place in the company’s Hall of Fame right next to her late husband.
As a manager, Vickie Guerrero helped elevate up and coming stars. Dolph ZIggler’s best run as a heel began when he was managed by Guerrero. Ziggler’s promos have improved since then, but at the time Vickie’s talking helped bring heat to the Blondie from Ohio.
Speaking of heat, Vickie was a magnet when it came to the boos from the WWE Universe. There were often times when you couldn’t hear Vickie speaking because the boos were so loud. Whether it was with Ziggler, Edge or on her own as a general manager, Vickie was among the most hated heels in WWE. Her screechy voice screaming “Excuse Me!” certainly didn’t help.
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These attributes and moments that Vickie gave to the WWE Universe along with her great relationship with Vince McMahon and the company will certainly pave the way for her rightful place in the Hall of Fame.
However, Vickie’s career is not the only thing that came to an end on June 23rd. The era of general managers in WWE is finally over now.
In 2002, WWE was split into two separate brands due to partial ownerships of Vince McMahon and WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. McMahon was in charge of Smackdown, while Flair was the head of Raw. In the last twelve years, authority figures have come and gone. While at first it seemed that these people truly had power in WWE, the role eventually became less and less relevant.
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Now that WWE has naturally and gradually got rid of the brand extension and Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are running the company on screen, the general managers were rarely seen anymore. Vickie was someone who spent time on and off as an authority figure in WWE, but it was never quite believable. Brad Maddox having control over the company was laughable.
Just like WWE did with the brand split, they gradually and naturally got rid of the general manager position. Maddox was fired weeks ago for letting The Shield be at ringside during a match and now Vickie is gone. The general manager position had a nice run, but let me speak for the entire WWE Universe when I wish the role the best in it’s future endeavors.
Seth Guttenplan is a math and computer technology teacher for special education students in New Jersey. In his free time, Seth writes about wrestling for Camel Clutch Blog and SEScoops. Follow Seth on twitter @sethgutt
It’s being said that the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage is closer to going into the WWE Hall Of Fame right now than ever before. The company is working on a new DVD/Blu-ray project for the deceased WWE legend, complete with a full documentary that is expected to have participation from Savage’s brother, former WWE Superstar “The Genius” (aka “Leapin'” Lanny Poffo).
As things stand right now, the guys rumored to be part of next year’s WWE Hall Of Fame class the most are Savage, The Rock, Kevin Nash, Rikishi and either Victoria or Mickie James in what has become an annual-Diva addition.
There continues to be a lot of talk regarding plans for a physical WWE Hall Of Fame and wrestling museum. WWE has reportedly contacted several historians and have made solid financial offers for various memorabilia.
It’s being said that while Vince McMahon has never had any real interest in a physical Hall Of Fame, Triple H is very interested in it, and is looking to make it happen.
Former WWE Superstar Bob Holly appeared on The Shoot radio showyesterday for nearly one hour to talk about a variety of topics. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Why Dolph Ziggler Should Be WWE World Heavyweight Champion:
“I love this guy. He is the best talent. He has everything it takes to be number one. They (WWE) sit there and their always preaching that you gotta have the heart, desire, & will. You gotta work your butt off and on and on and it’s like Sheamus was the world champion within six months. How did he deserve to be world champion? Don’t insult the fans intelligence by telling them it takes this this this and this to make it to the top when it doesn’t. It’s Hunter’s choice or whoever is at the round table. It’s their choice, but Dolph Ziggler does sells tickets. How many times does Dolph Ziggler have to step it up and say hey look at me? Every time he’s stepping in the ring he’s saying look at me look what i can do. That guy steals the show every single night at house shows, i will guarantee it.”
The WWE Hall of Fame:
“They try to make that Hall of Fame legitimate. But if you notice, to me it’s politically driven. A dead giveaway is Hunter wanting all of his little buddies, his little circle first. He’s taken care of all them. But the thing is, how can you put Lita in the Hall of Fame? Not saying she doesn’t deserve to be there, but how can you put her in there before Chyna? Chyna is the first and only female Intercontinental champion and that’s what drives me nuts because their trying to make this a legitimate hall of fame and it’s obvious they pick and choose who they want in there. If this was pro football or basketball or anything else, Chyna would be in there.” The host then mentioned her not being selected is likely due to her Adult movie roles and publicized issues with drugs and alcohol to which Bob replied “You look at all the guys who had drug and alcohol problems and they get inducted, come on. She’s done porn so what, who cares. The thing is, she gave a lot to the business and she was a big deal. I’m not defending anybody as to what they choose outside of the wrestling world, but what she gave to the wrestling world was really big.”
Daniel Bryan:
“I’m glad he won the title. He’s another one who worked his tail off and he deserves it. I don’t care about his size. Some people do but it shouldn’t be that way. Wrestling isn’t real, so why should it matter? I think he deserves to be world champion, despite his ups and downs trying to get there. I’m sorry to hear his dad passed away. With the neck surgery though, he needs to stop doing the missile dropkick. Every time i saw him doing that i was like that has got to hurt his neck because it whiplashes your neck. That’s another one he needs to stop doing in addition to the headbutt. My advice to him is enjoy the ride. If they strip the title from him and he never gets to the point where he gets it back, he had it, he made it, enjoy the ride from here on out. He’s still making good money. His merchandise sales are through the roof. Just enjoy the ride, have a good career with WWE and don’t do those 2 moves.”
Other topics covered include Which of the two Bellas does he think has the better head on her shoulders, Why he thinks John Cena should “shut his trap” about younger guys stepping up, Does Bob think he deserves a spot in the hall of fame? Thoughts on Roman Reigns being the next big star, Bob’s twitter experiences and a whole lot more in this near hour long interview.
Wrestling legend Vader was recently interviewed by Wrestling101. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
The Undertaker: “Undertaker was just phenomenal and I would say he is the best big man in professional wrestling history, without a doubt.”
Brock Lesnar: “I think Brock Lesnar is just a beast, he’s an incredible athlete and he would be great at anything he turned his hand to, I would love to see Brock featured more than he is.”
Triple H: “Triple H is doing a fantastic job running the company now but I would love to see more of him performing in the ring as he is still a tremendous athlete.”
Rumors Of Him Entering The WWE Hall of Fame: “I heard rumblings about it a couple of years ago, but I’ve not heard anything for a while now. I would really like for that to happen, I think I?ve earned it. Yokozuna, Bam Bam Bigelow, King Kong Bundy and myself would be considered super-heavyweights, and I would rank myself very high out of that group, and there is a time in my career in the early nineties where I considered myself to be the best big man.”
Comparing Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff: “Eric was put into a situation and I think from a wrestling standpoint he wasn’t really ready for it at that time. He became very educated and excellent at what he did but it was kind of like we had one guy running the wrestling part and then two weeks later we had another guy doing it and so on and so forth until Eric did it. I think Eric was way in over his head initially but he certainly figured it out with the help of Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan and there were times when it became a biased situation but he achieved some great things, he is one of the most successful promoters in the history of professional wrestling. What can I say about Vince, he’s a genius, he is the most successful wrestling promoter of all time and just works so hard. He was very approachable and he has done nothing but treat me like a gentleman.”
The following are highlights of a new Digital Spy interview with Drew McIntyre:
And how long will you, Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater be sticking together before the inevitable break-up? “Maybe for us personally we’ll try and get one song out before we have the break up. We’ve been talking about bringing out an album for the last year and a half. With Guns N’ Roses and Chinese Democracy it took Axl ten years – maybe we’ll try and break that record.”
Do you think that CM Punk will make a return to the WWE in the foreseeable future? “Personally I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know what’s going to happen. You can never tell what’s going to happen in sports entertainment, that’s what the boss always says.”
And what do you think about the rumors of Sting finally making his debut with the WWE? “He’s somebody who’s never been in the company, if that was to happen it would obviously be a very big thing, but as I always say – don’t believe everything you read on the internet until it actually happens!”
After WrestleMania and that incredible promo, we had the sad death of Warrior – do you have any favorite memories of the Ultimate Warrior? “The first ever VHS I ever owned, my brother and I, was WrestleMania VII. We watched that thing to bits – I think the tape chewed itself up. It was Warrior vs Macho Man [Randy Savage], the Retirement Match. The one time he didn’t run to the ring! The match lasted 40 minutes, so it was probably a good idea!
“That was a fond memory of my childhood… I can probably recite that entire Retirement Match. It was one of his greatest matches and he was such an incredible character. It was crazy, such an unbelievable character that’ll be around forever. He’s immortal now.”
It was so great that he got that Hall of Fame induction… “You could see how much it meant to him – how much it meant to have his family there. You can never say that it’s a good time for something like that to happen. He had an incredible weekend, with his daughters there. It’s such a shame, but he’s going to live forever like all the great Superstars do.”
Diamond Dallas page recently appeared on Wrestling 365 hosted by Alfonso Marimon and Jon Curry. Here are some highlights of what DDP said about:
The Energy Backstage at the WWE Hall of Fame:
“The Hall of Fame was really cool, getting there was the journey, the whole thing with Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts and Scott Hall. It was great to see both those guys be inducted, they both put a lot of work in. It’s one of those things, so many people bring it up, you get to the end and go, okay we got here, awesome, dreams do come true, but both of those guys are still addicts, so they fight it daily. I’ve had people come up to me and say dude you’ve cured Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts and I’m like what?, no, I never did that. All I did was help him, guide him and put him in a positive environment. Jake could fall down tomorrow and he does from time to time. He doesn’t live with me anymore, I can’t be his keeper, I just hope he can stay on the right track, but someone like Jake or Scott, either one of those guys could fall and hopefully not too far, because we can fall too far and then the promoters and everyone don’t want to deal with that stuff, but as of right now, it was a glorious moment.”
How It Felt To See Jake Roberts & Scott Hall Inducted:
“It actually felt great man, for Scott’s speech I went out in front and sat with my girl and my ex-wife Kimberly, they were both there, they’re friends and we watched Kevin (Nash) come out and then Scott and afterwards I went backstage again. To be in that whole…..That’s like the highest honor you can get in our business, I think it even crosses over World Championships to that next level. There’s still certain people that belong and should be in there and that will always be the case, but eventually, sometimes that takes a while, everyone gets their turn. I said it 18 months earlier, we set the big pie in the sky dream that we would be on this (Hall of Fame) stage on this night.
“Jake didn’t think that was possible, but Jake had to go through a lot of changes for that to happen and he did and it was a journey. We’ve done the movie, that’s where the movie ends, I’m sure we’ll have a little trail-off, because I don’t know exactly what will happen in the next 6 months, 8 months before we’ve got the film completely tied up. I’ve been filming with director and co-producer Steve Yu the resurrection of Jake The Snake’s story and that details Scott Hall coming in and where he was when he started and that journey and a lot of it is really fun and inspirational, while some of it is dark. There’s dark moments man and there’s times where the 3 of us did not get along.”
Memories Of The Ultimate Warrior:
“The first time I was on a card or an event with the Warrior was at WrestleMania 6 and I didn’t get the gig, my car did, I was Diamond Dallas Chauffeur for Rhythm N Blues and I got to meet a lot of the boys. I was in the AWA at the time as a manager, but everybody dreamed of being at WrestleMania, this is the spot and I’m there. I may be driving a Cadillac, but you know what, none of my other buddies are. Hulk Hogan came up to me and was so nice to me and talked about my gimmick and we talked for about 10 minutes and it was amazing.
“Really, the only superstar I wanted to meet that evening and didn’t get the chance to was Warrior, that would happen 10 years later when he came in in WCW to start up his feud with Hulk Hogan and when he got to TV, I was planning on going by, I was looking forward to shaking his hand and meeting him, maybe having some kind of a relationship with him and one of the agents came by and said DDP, you want to meet The Ultimate Warrior and I said absolutely, I’ll be down there later, but the agent said that he sort of asked me to come by and grab you and Goldberg and see if you guys would want to meet him and I was like he’s requesting US to come by, sure, I’ll come with you.
“I walked down there and gave him a big hug and he talked about how much fun he’s had watching us (DDP and Goldberg) and how we made him want to get back in the business. The main event that they would be working towards would be Halloween Havoc and this story shows how anything is possible in this world. 10 years later, from working at the Skydome, being a chauffeur and watching Hogan vs. Warrior for the title to watching them 10 years later, but this time I’m going for the World Championship against Goldberg.
“It took a fan writing me that on Twitter to really put that in perspective and I was like, woah, I never really put that together. I saw him at WrestleCon last year and we talked for a little bit and he was so blown away by what I was doing with DDP Yoga and Scott and Jake and he said, you’re doing God’s work man. He’s a big God man, I am too, I’m not the big preacher guy, but I’m a big God man. For him to give me the shoutout at the Hall of Fame for him being inducted, not once, not twice, but like 4 times and it was a little tongue-in-cheek funny, but he respected what I was doing. I never got a chance to thank him for that, because that was just so cool of him to do that.”
The following are highlights of a new Wrestling 365 interview with Diamond Dallas Page:
On the energy backstage at the WWE Hall Of Fame: “The Hall of Fame was really cool, getting there was the journey, the whole thing with Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Scott Hall. It was great to see both those guys be inducted, they both put a lot of work in. It’s one of those things, so many people bring it up, you get to the end and go, okay we got here, awesome, dreams do come true, but both of those guys are still addicts, so they fight it daily. I’ve had people come up to me and say dude you’ve cured Jake “The Snake” Roberts and I’m like what?, no, I never did that. All I did was help him, guide him and put him in a positive environment. Jake could fall down tomorrow and he does from time to time. He doesn’t live with me anymore, I can’t be his keeper, I just hope he can stay on the right track, but someone like Jake or Scott, either one of those guys could fall and hopefully not too far, because we can fall too far and then the promoters and everyone don’t want to deal with that stuff, but as of right now, it was a glorious moment.”
On how it felt personally for him to see Jake and Scott be inducted: “It actually felt great man, for Scott’s speech I went out in front and sat with my girl and my ex-wife Kimberly, they were both there, they’re friends and we watched Kevin (Nash) come out and then Scott and afterwards I went backstage again. To be in that whole…..That’s like the highest honor you can get in our business, I think it even crosses over World Championships to that next level. There’s still certain people that belong and should be in there and that will always be the case, but eventually, sometimes that takes a while, everyone gets their turn. I said it 18 months earlier, we set the big pie in the sky dream that we would be on this (Hall of Fame) stage on this night. Jake didn’t think that was possible, but Jake had to go through a lot of changes for that to happen and he did and it was a journey. We’ve done the movie, that’s where the movie ends, I’m sure we’ll have a little trail-off, because I don’t know exactly what will happen in the next 6 months, 8 months before we’ve got the film completely tied up. I’ve been filming with director and co-producer Steve Yu the resurrection of Jake The Snake’s story and that details Scott Hall coming in and where he was when he started and that journey and a lot of it is really fun and inspirational, while some of it is dark. There’s dark moments man and there’s times where the 3 of us did not get along.”
On the passing of Ultimate Warrior and his memories: “The first time I was on a card or an event with the Warrior was at WrestleMania 6 and I didn’t get the gig, my car did, I was Diamond Dallas Chauffeur for Rhythm N Blues and I got to meet a lot of the boys. I was in the AWA at the time as a manager, but everybody dreamed of being at WrestleMania, this is the spot and I’m there. I may be driving a Cadillac, but you know what, none of my other buddies are. Hulk Hogan came up to me and was so nice to me and talked about my gimmick and we talked for about 10 minutes and it was amazing. Really, the only superstar I wanted to meet that evening and didn’t get the chance to was Warrior, that would happen 10 years later when he came in in WCW to start up his feud with Hulk Hogan and when he got to TV, I was planning on going by, I was looking forward to shaking his hand and meeting him, maybe having some kind of a relationship with him and one of the agents came by and said DDP, you want to meet The Ultimate Warrior and I said absolutely, I’ll be down there later, but the agent said that he sort of asked me to come by and grab you and Goldberg and see if you guys would want to meet him and I was like he’s requesting US to come by, sure, I’ll come with you. I walked down there and gave him a big hug and he talked about how much fun he’s had watching us (DDP and Goldberg) and how we made him want to get back in the business. The main event that they would be working towards would be Halloween Havoc and how anything is possible in this world. 10 years later, from working at the Skydome, being a chaufeur and watching Hogan vs. Warrior for the title to watching them 10 years later, but this time I’m going for the World Championship against Goldberg. It took a fan writing me that on Twitter to really put that in perspective and I was like, woah, I never really put that together. I saw him at WrestleCon last year and we talked for a little bit and he was so blown away by what I was doing with DDP Yoga and Scott and Jake and he said, you’re doing God’s work man. He’s a big God man, I am too, I’m not the big preacher guy, but I’m a big God man. For him to give me the shoutout at the Hall of Fame for him being inducted, not once, not twice, but like 4 times and it was a little tongue-in-cheek funny, but he respected what I was doing. I never got a chance to thank him for that, because that was just so cool of him to do that.”